The clock don't pity the sleep of a 5 AM riser Lunch box packed with courage, keepin’ my head much wiser. Asphalt’s cold but the fire in my chest is ragin’ Blessing from my mama, the only prayer I’m savin’. Saw that neon glitch, that corner store easy money But that gold is fake and the ending ain’t ever funny. I’d rather have the callus than the weight upon my soul My victory ain’t a headline, it’s a silent heart made whole. They say my zip code is where my story has to end Just another stat in a cell or a trend they won’t defend. But I read between the lines, I flipped the script they wrote Found my treasure in the fog, on a different kind of boat. It’s the merit shinin’ brighter than the jewelry in the glass! I made it out the trap, no permission, let it pass! The sweat that’s drippin’ down is the ink that writes the page Of a man who skipped the shortcut and outgrew the cage. (Outgrew the cage...) Clean kicks today, but the soles remember the grime Never forgot the block or the ones who stood the time. That degree on the wall is a trophy from the war A ceiling that I shattered, a sun for my kin and more. Lookin’ in the mirror, see a face that’s finally free What’s behind me made me the man I was meant to be. Owin’ no one nothin’, no smoke left in the air Just the rhythm of the walk for the ones who truly care. Resilience... ain’t just about the fight It’s learnin’ how to bloom... in the middle of the night. It’s bein’ the light... where the shadows try to play It’s the power of the choice... walkin’ a better way. Away from the wires... Close to the dream... On foot or in a ride, I’m part of a different team... On the table... in my heart... Doing it right. It’s the merit shinin’ brighter than the jewelry in the glass! I made it out the trap, no permission, let it pass! The sweat that’s drippin’ down is the ink that writes the page Of a man who skipped the shortcut and outgrew the cage. (Outgrew the cage...)
